


Mother

by wisia



Category: DCU
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-04
Updated: 2012-11-02
Packaged: 2017-11-09 04:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/451399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisia/pseuds/wisia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ra's takes Talia's body for use.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reacting

**Author's Note:**

> Based off this headcanon from princess-black on tumblr to the batfamilyheadcanons:
> 
> Damian and Tim get closer after Talia's death when Damian is seventeen. Ra's takes Talia's body as his vessel, and Damian denies any emotional turmoil over it for months until eventually confiding in Tim.

Tim couldn't help but look disgusted and horrified. Oh, he knew about it, all right, but that still didn't prepared him. And he was walking closer, hips swaying with more purpose and ease than he should have been be capable of doing. When it happened so recently.

"I did not expect you to find me so quickly. I underestimated your fondness for my grandson."

The voice was soft, lilting and normally right coming from Talia, but this wasn't Talia. It was Ra's, Ra's in her body, and Tim just felt sick. Knew that if he was sick, Damian, sicker.

"Who says it is out of fondness?" 

It wasn't. More that Tim saw the effect on Damian, to know his mother has been disgraced and desecrated so. More that he knew the loss of a parent and knew that...

The hand came closer, and with ease Tim subdued him in a hold, pressing Talia's body to the ground, and had a start when nimble fingers, slender and long traced his face.

"Don't touch me," Tim said. The fingers stopped but stayed on his face, a quiet weight. And Ra's laughed her laugh, corrupting and twisting the sound in his own odd way.

"Detective, will you not think of joining me?"

And Tim was appalled to feel the shift of her legs beneath his, teasing, sliding and this was Damian's mother, Talia, and it was Ra's. He pressed her body down harder, praying that he would be forgiven for any damage.

"I will not," Tim said. "This is disgusting."

"But you react," and Tim was reacting.


	2. I Miss Her

            Damian was manning the computers in the cave when Drake came in, limping, all battered, worn and bloody. He didn’t shelve his biting words as he jumped up to assist the man to a gurney. Because the years only softened their working relationship and nothing else. Their “brotherly banter” as Grayson named it once was still a little less than hostile.

                “Are you incapable of handling yourself without suffering injuries for one night?”

                Drake merely responded with a grunt and a quiet “shut up.”

                Typical, Damian snorted. As he pulled out the supplies and assessed the damage on Drake, he paused. There was a light, very faint scent in the air, and he froze.

                “You smell like mother.” It wasn’t a question. And Damian frowned as Tim ignored him, shrugging off the top of his uniform with a grimace at the way fabric pulled at congealed dried blood.

                “Why do you smell like my mother?”

                He hated to repeat himself, but for whatever reason Drake smelled like his mother. And repeating was more than enough to quell the sick emotions rising in his stomach.

                Tim sighed. He pursed his lips as he carefully folded the torn shirt and placed it to the side.

                “I thought whatever I do wasn’t of any concern to you.”

                Damian stilled even further at the words. He did not, but this was a concern to him. Especially since several months ago, his grandfather had taken his mother’s body. For use.

                “Drake,” he started firmly. “Believe me, I have no concerns over you or your stupidity, but—“

                And Damian was broke out of his still as Tim shoved something at him. He didn’t fumble to catch it because he was taught to expect the unexpected, but his mouth fell open. He did not expect this.

                It was a ring, simply ornate. It had belonged to his mother.  _How?_

                He looked up from the ring to Tim who looked back with an even expression.

                “He’s still alive,” Tim noted casually. Damian fingered the ring, rubbing a thumb across the metal in wonderment. He had never said a thing. Not one word. That he was in any pain or tears because he wasn’t. And he really truly was.

                “I thought you hated me.”

                The words fell from his mouth, and Damian almost flinched at how sudden it was.

                “I don’t hate you. I just didn’t trust you,” Drake muttered. Then, more loudly, “help me stitch this will you?”

                There was a long gash on Drake’s left side, and Damian could easily see the telling evidence. That it was wielded and made by his grandfather. It was clumsy, but probably because he wasn’t used to his mother’s body yet.

                Damian slipped the ring into his pocket. He sterilized the wound, threaded the needle and when he was done, he said quietly, “thank you. I miss her.”

                “I know.”


	3. Bait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim faces problems with Talia!Ra’s. Enter Damian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I don’t know. This ended up more…silly than anything else. But some brotherly bonding. Yeah.

 

                “Do not attempt to coddle me,” and Tim had to pause, an eyebrow raised as Damian scowled fiercely.

                “What are you talking about?” He asked taking a seat next to Damian on the couch. Damian closed the book he was reading with a sharp bang.

                “I thought you were, Grayson,” he confessed. “He has done more than enough to try and lift my spirits. From my mother’s passing.”

                Tim smothered a chuckle at the dark frown across Damian’s face.

                “Ah,” he said instead. That explained. But despite Damian’s calm demeanor, Tim’s eyes drifted to his neck, searching. There was a thin chain around his neck, the end dipping to hide beneath the collar of his shirt. Tim guessed Talia’s ring was there. Damian noticed his gaze.

                “I’m not. Death is in the natural course of things.”

                Tim just sighed, fingers tapping restlessly at his side. The subject reminded him why he sought out Damian. But he wasn’t sure how to bring up the question of Ra’s as Talia in a tactful manner.

                “Your grandfather has been more active lately.”

                And Damian looked at him with a “could you not say pointless statements everyone already knows?” There really wasn’t a tactful way to say it, and Tim groaned inwardly.

                “I am aware of that, Drake. Is there a point you wish to address?”

                Tim pressed his face into his hands.

_“Detective, it is so good to see you again,” Ra’s purred with Talia’s voice. “How has my grandson been? I hope he is calmer now that you have taken my daughter’s ring.”_

                “No. Yes.” Tim slowly looked up.

               _He was sleeping. And then he wasn't._ _He groaned, pressing hips upward. Teeth biting at neck and fingers were edging into the waist of his pajama bottoms, and Tim had never felt so needy. So hot in his life. And that clued him in. To the person that entered his hotel room._

                Damian was unconvinced. “Drake.”

                “Your grandfather’s attempts to seduce me while in your mother’s body are highly disturbing.”

                 _“I’m not Jason.”_

_“I am aware of that, Timothy, believe me.”_

_And Talia slipped a leg between his…_

                Damian, however, didn’t blink.

                “Is that all?” And he opened his book to resume reading.

                “Aren’t you concerned about this?” 

                “Tt—I’m quite aware of my grandfather’s attempts to seduce you.” It went unspoken that Damian would probably kill Ra’s the moment he could. Or maim rather, Batman’s “no kill” rule in the air.

                “Right,” Tim said. There was a pause, and then Damian continued. “I was considering having you serve as an intermediary between my grandfather and me.”

                Tim absorbed that statement—

                “I’m not going to be your bait so you can hunt your grandfather.”

 


	4. Cougar

Tim suppressed a groan as Talia slid into the open seat across from him. She wore a finely cut suit that showed just the barest hint of cleavage.

“Timothy,” Talia greeted, but the tone is all Ra’s. Tim shot him an irritated glare over the rim of his cup before setting it down.

“I don’t appreciate seeing you here,” Tim said and leaned back in his chair as if he could further the distance between them. This café was one of his favorites, and even if Ra’s wasn’t prone to exploding things, Tim didn’t want to see Ra’s’ ninjas disguised as patrons every time he came. Well, any more than the one Tim already took out.

“And I don’t appreciate your choice,” Ra’s purred with Talia’s smooth velvety voice. “I am a little offended to be honest.”

Ra’s flagged down a waiter with Talia’s delicate hand, ordering coffee, while Tim raised an eyebrow in question.

“My choice?”

“You have my grandson as your paramour,” Ra’s sighed. “I suppose you will still be in the family.”

This made Tim groaned out loud, and he had an urge to do something stupid.

“We are not seeing each other,” Tim refuted instead. Damian was sixteen, and the thought of him romantically gave Tim chills.

“Oh?” And Ra’s is sharp with Talia’s eyes. “Do I still have an opportunity?”

“Never.” Tim refused flatly, stepping on Talia’s foot before it could slide up his calf beneath the table. “Do you know how disturbing it is to be hit on by you as Talia? Or the fact you are a total cougar?”

Talia’s expression went smooth in contemplation.

“Cougar?” Ra’s asked. That—Tim wasn’t going to be explaining that to Ra’s.

“Ask your grandson.”

Though it was possible Damian might not know the term either, Tim thought. Talia leaned forward and the hint of cleavage was not a hint anymore.

“I think,” Tim said. “I’m even more disturbed that you know your daughter’s body well enough to dress that way.”

Talia hardly wore suits, but Ra’s did and he made it more than flattering. Talia blinks, and it’s rather convincing for confusion but Ra’s never is.

“I assure you I have no designs on her before and now,” Ra’s said seriously, and Tim suffered an urge to bang his head on the table.

“Of course,” Tim said. He really didn’t want to get into any weird incest type thing that might be going on.

“It is true,” Talia smiles. “I have an eye on you.”

“That makes me feel so flattered to be compared to your daughter.”

Tim took a sip of his coffee.

“My daughter is one of the best,” Ra’s conceded. “I do not understand why you aren’t charmed by her.”

In truth, Tim could probably be charmed by Talia if there weren’t certain facts in the way like she was Bruce’s lover once, Damian’s mother and related to Ra’s. The last being the main deterrent.

“Will you leave and quit annoying me?” Tim asked.

Talia didn’t moved, and Tim stepped on her foot again, foiling Ra’s’ second attempt to play footsies.

“Go,” Tim said dryly. “Before I sic your grandson on you.”

Because Damian was always looking for an opportunity to avenge his mother, and even if Tim tried not to, he was the bait.


	5. Drabble: Darjum Blacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based of Batfamily headcanon #497: 
> 
> "Tim doesn't smoke often, but on the rare occasion that he does, he only smokes clove cigarettes. His favorite brand are Djarum Blacks. No one else in his family recognizes the strangely sweet aroma that clings to him after smoking one except for Damian, because his mother smoked the exact same brand."

Damian was working, going through the files in the cave when Tim came in bringing in a strangely sweet scent. The smell tickled Damian's nose and he wrinkled it as Tim came closer to him. The smell was more than familiar.

"You smell like mother," Damian said. He watched as Tim startled.

"I what?"

"I said you smell like my mother," Damian repeated. Then his eyes narrowed. "Were you fighting my grandfather again?"

Tim was silent as he carefully answered, "no. Ra's is in Russia at the moment."

Damian took in that information. That was...true. He frowned.

Tim didn't have time to react as Damian suddenly jerked him down to his level, pushing his nose into Tim's kelvar. Damian inhaled deeply, breathing in through his nostrils that familiar scent. So sweet and...

"You smoke," Damian accused, releasing Tim. "Djarum Blacks."

Tim sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. Rarely, but I do."

"Don't do it. That's a filthy habit," Damian ordered. It reminded him too much of his mother. She used to smoke Djarum Blacks.


End file.
